Doily Xmas ornament tutorial

I have had a couple of emails from participants in the Xmas ornament draw saying that their ornaments are finished, so I thought I should get organised and make mine, since I did organise it! I have been quite stuck on what to make, trying to come up with something a bit elaborate and original. Then I thought "The idea isn't to make something complicated, its just to make something that you like. I should set the example by keeping it simple!". So here is what I made!

You will need: Crochet doily or doilies, unbleached calico, thread, thin ribbon, stuffing (I used wool), lavender essential oil (optional)

I started off with a doily that had a border and 6 circles on the inside. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but here are the 6 circles I cut out:

For each crochet circle you will need 2 circles cut out of calico that are the same size. You will also need some ribbon to make a hanger for the ornament.

Pin and baste the crochet circle to one of the calico circles.

Pin and sew the ribbon on as shown below. Sew back and forth to ensure it is attached securely.

Place the other calico circle over top of the crochet, right side facing the crochet. Stitch right around the outside, leaving a small gap to turn the ornament right way out.

Turn the ornament out the right way, you may need to use a chopstick or something similar to poke all the edges out.

Stuff the ornament loosely with something appropriate. I used wool. I also added a few drops of lavender oil to the wool to make it smell nice. Any nice smelling essential oil would work. You could even stuff them with dried lavender or rose petals.

Stitch up the gap with a needle and thread and you're all done!!

I will get them posted out to my group in the next few days.


I even have the border of the doily left to embellish some clothing for my girls and make them look pretty

Oatie Chocolate Chip cookies

As I mentioned last week, I am trying to blog some ideas for kids lunchboxes. I also love to bake, and try to have home baking in the tins all the time (and often in the freezer), so I have lots of recipes up my sleeve. Here is a yummy recipe that has chocolate for tastiness and rolled oats for goodness. It makes lots of biscuits. I don't know where this originally came from. As far as I know, Mum's recipe folder!

250g butter, softened
3 T condensed milk
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c rolled oats
1 t baking powder
200g chocolate melts

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease 2 trays (you may even need 3). Beat butter, condensed milk and sugar until light and creamy. Fold in flour, rolled oats, baking powder and chocolate and mix well. Place spoonfuls on trays and flatten. Bake 15 - 20 mins until golden. Cool on racks.

Mia loves to help my bake, but this is her favourite bit:

Hair bows

A while ago I made a birthday card with hairclips on it for a friend's daughter's birthday. Her other 2 girls have birthdays in November so I thought I would make them something similar.

These felt bows were really easy to make from a tutorial I found. Hairclips are so easy to make and make great little pressies, attached to cards or not. Here are some more tutorials I have found:

• Pinwheel hairclips from the Mother Huddle




• Ricrac flowers from Craftiness is not Optional




• Sweet and easy baby hairclip from Prudent Baby




• Fabric rosettes from craftiholics anonymous





• Felt circles and flowers from etsy




• Scrap busting bows from prudent baby




• Lady birds from etsy
  




• Fabric flowers from Molly Chicken

Have a go at making some, they really are quick and satisfying projects!

Homemade mayonnaise

My friend Susan from A Green and Sometimes Blue Life mentioned a few weeks ago that she had made some homemade mayonnaise and it tasted much better and was much cheaper than the bought stuff. I decided to make a go myself, and it was a great success!



Look its yellow because it has real egg yolks in it! Here is the recipe:

1 free range egg yolk
1/4 t dry mustard powder
1/4 t salt
pinch ground pepper
1/4 t sugar
About 150mls light flavoured oil such as canola or ricebran
1 T white wine vinegar

Place egg yolk in a bowl with the mustard, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well. Turn the processor on low and add the oil very slowly, in a very thin stream or drop by drop, consistently. It should look thick smooth and glossy. When it is the right consistency add the vinegar. If it doesn't work and it curdles, place another egg yolk in the processor and add the curdled mixture very slowly with the food processor on. This tip is very important because the first time I made it it curdled and then I re-did it and it worked! You can store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks

Here is a potato salad I made with it, just potatoes and mayonnaise with chopped dill, chives and celery. Yum! It is also yum with capers, hard boiled eggs and chopped spring onions.

Packed Lunch Series: Fried Rice

Recently I attended a morning tea at my daughter's preschool to welcome her favourite teacher back from an overseas adventure. They were having a special morning tea with treat food, and carefully making sure that the children each got their share, as well as serving up fruit first, which they always do. I was shocked by the amount of packaged and processed food in many of the children's lunchboxes. I am not talking about a couple of items mixed in with sandwiches and fruit, but lunchboxes filled with processed food. Many had only items of processed food, no sandwiches or fruit.

Now I would be lying if I said that Mia has never eaten chippies, or icecream, or chocolate or any form of treat food, but I always think of it as "Sometime" food, not something to be eaten at every meal, every day. I would also be lying if I said that she eats gourmet every day, or that she isn't fussy, but the key is to try to serve food that is healthy and appealing to kids. You have to keep trying if they won't eat it, not just give in and give them chips!

I decided that I would use this "shock" about pre-school nutrition to come up with some new ideas for Mia's lunchbox.

Fried Rice

Mia loves this! It took her a long time to try rice and then to admit she actually likes it, but now she is very keen on it. You can put it in a container for your child to take for lunch, however it does require refridgeration as it contains egg.


This recipe contains several ingredients that many would consider far from healthy, but remember you do have options. You can buy nitrate-free, free-range bacon, MSG free soy sauce and vegetable stock powder if you are concerned. You can also use any type of rice that you like if your kids will eat it!

1 T sesame oil
1 c rice
1 onion
3 rashers bacon
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c frozen veges
1/4 c soy sauce
1 large t stock powder (chicken or vegetarian)
1 T mild sweet thai chilli sauce
2 eggs

Cook rice as per instructions on the packet. Heat oil in a frying pan and saute onion, garlic and bacon over low heat until onion is soft. Add the rice, veges, soy sauce, stock powder and chilli sauce and fry, stirring, for 4 minutes. Beat the eggs and add to the rice. Stir until egg is set.

Rompers from a sheet!

Remember my vintage sheet collection? Well I finally made something from one of them, rompers from a pattern by sew sweet patterns. Aren't they cute? (Made even cuter by the model!)

The pattern was extremely easy to follow and make - probably took me about an hour of sewing. Highly recommend it. Don't you love the ruffle on the front?

There is still lot of this material left (I had 2 sheets), so get ready to see a bit of it. By the end of my sewing we will look like the von Trapp family (remember when Maria made them play clothes out of a curtain!) from Sound of Music!

Pumpkin and Spinach lasagne

Between the ages of about 14 and 30 I was either completely vegetarian, or only ate a little fish and chicken. Since I started eating meat again I sometimes get lazy and rely on it to make a meal, rather than coming up with something vegetarian. I am trying to cook more vegetarian as it is better for you and usually cheaper! A couple of weeks ago I was at my parents house in Tauranga and remembered this lasagne recipe that I have cooked lots, but not for a while. It is also perfect for using up the spinach and silverbeet that is growing like crazy in the garden.

Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne

1/2 pumpkin, cooked and mashed

250g tub cottage cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 c grated cheese

2 c spinach or silverbeet without the stalks, chopped up

Fresh or dry lasagne sheets

A jar of tomato pasta sauce (or I make my own)

Grated parmesan or normal cheesefor the top

Mix the pumpkin, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs and spinach together. Grease a rectangular oven proof dish. Layer the lasagne by putting a layer of lasagne, then pumpkin mixture, then tomato sauce, then repeat. Top with cheese and bake at 200 C for about 20 mins until cheese is melted and pasta is soft. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.